Good health and physical fitness are of prime concern to a vast number of people. One problem with consistently maintaining an exercise regime is finding the discretionary time necessary to engage in a proper exercise program. Two problems in this regard are found in gyms in which persons must wait to use a particular piece of equipment and then pause in the midst of an exercise routine to adjust the equipment for the next repetition or exercise. The cumulative adjustment time over the course of an exercise routine can significantly reduce the amount of time spent actually exercising. These problems extend to machines and equipment that focus on exercising and developing the abdominal area.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0155602 to Huls discloses a sit-up exercise machine that comprises two slant boards with a pulley that enables two users to assist each other in performing sit-up exercises. However, the machine is constructed such that the two users cannot exercise independently. In addition, the machine must be elaborately modified to allow a single user to utilize the machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,026 to Almada provides for an abdominal exercise machine in which the user sits on a ball and places his/her feet in one of a plurality of foot supports. However, only one person at a time may use the Almada machine and the ball decreases stability of the user as he exercises.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,475 to Walker discloses an abdominal/back exercise machine in which the user sits on a raised small pivoting seat while his feet are held in place by a bar close to the floor. This arrangement allows the user to bend backwards but the narrow base and pivoting seat provide little stability and makes it awkward to effectively exercise the abdomen. Again, only one person may use the machine at a time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,942 to Sidlinger provides for a slant board and single foot support to be used for sit-ups. The slant board is one of a variety of accessory pieces releasably attached to a common support. The Sidlinger device does not allow for the adjustment of the board to enable performing sit-ups at different angles and it can only be used by one person at a time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,220 to Kearney discloses a weight lifting frame with various exercise stations. One of the stations is a Roman chair that enables back extension exercises but not abdominal crunch-type exercises. U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,528 to Ziparo discloses a bench with an adjustable stand and an aerobic step that enables a single user to perform various aerobic exercises. Both inventions can only be used by one person.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0116262 to Pandozy depicts a bench type apparatus with several pairs of foot supports on a flexible standard. The bench includes a half arc shaped hump that enables a more extensive movement in a sit-up exercise. The device is configured to only allow its use by a single person at a time.
Thus it is clear there is a need in the field for an abdominal exercise device or apparatus that enables easy adjustment to accommodate people of different sizes, more than one person at a time, and permit the targeting of different abdominal muscle groups.